Brew at the Zoo 2015 Goes Local With Craft Beer and Homebrewers

The sixth-annual Miami New Times'Brew at the Zoo (BATZ) will take over Zoo Miami Saturday, May 9. This year's edition promises to be wilder than ever. The Magic City has embraced the craft beer scene, and so has Brew at the Zoo, with more craft breweries, food, and music, and than ever before.

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Miami's local beer scene is in full swing, and most of Miami's best local breweries, such as Concrete Beach, Miami Brewing Co., J. Wakefield, and Wynwood, will be represented. In addition, some of our best up-and-coming homebrewers will be at BATZ to share their best beers. These brewers, many of whom plan to expand to full-scale breweries in the coming months, are the future of the South Florida beer scene, proving that Miami's craft beer community will get only bigger and better.

Here are a few of the homebrewers that will be at Brew at the Zoo:

Yary de los Rios and Nelson Torres of Nelsito's Brew.

Photo courtesy Nelsito's Brew

Nelsito's Brew Nelson Torres and Yary de los Rios began brewing less than a year ago, but the two already has a following for their beers that incorporate local flavors. Torres calls Nelsito's Brew a "condo brewer," but they aspire to open a brewery and taproom. Torres says, "Yary and I are still working on perfecting beer recipes and are brewing beer for fun and as a hobby." At BATZ, Nelsito's will feature El Tamarindo, a tamarind ale, and will also pour a sugarcane brown ale, a grapefruit IPA, and a black IPA.

The Legacy Caribbean Craft Brewery team.

Photo courtesy of Legacy Caribbean Craft Brewery

Legacy Caribbean Craft BreweryLegacy Caribbean Craft Brewery is a small production brewery based in Opa-locka. It features full-flavored, well-balanced Caribbean-inspired craft beer using fresh fruits. Brewmaster Ismael Fernandez, assisted by his younger brother Hector Gonzalez, will feature a host of beers this Saturday, including the Diaz Legacy, a Belgian blonde made with strawberries, bananas, and peaches; the Humble Noble, a session IPA made with pineapple; Tallulah, a Belgian wheat ale; and Doña Rosa, a summer porch pounder made with guava.

Fresh beer from Hialeah to you.

Courtesy Hialeah Brewing Co.

Hialeah Brewing Company Eric and Ally are the brewmasters behind Hialeah Brewing Company. As with most startups, they're also in charge of everything else from marketing to business management. The duo is currently hoping to find investors to fund their project and a location within the city's Leah Arts District. The brewers' styles are eclectic — ranging from a classic light beer to some funky experimental brews. As Eric puts it, "We brew everything from wheats to stouts, and utilize all sorts of tropical flavors such as mango, passion fruit, and even coffee to brew our beers." The co-founder of Hialeah Brewing adds, "We are a product of our community and couldn't find a better way to give back than to brew beer with the flavors we grew up eating like arroz con leche, flan, coladas, and pastelitos de guayaba. Cheers to the future and to the great city of Hialeah!" BATZ attendees will be able to sample their Desayuno, a guava and coffee stout; Homestead Cougar, a basil and habanero porter; Hialeah IPA; Bro, a chai tea porter; and others.

Spanish Marie Craft Beer and Pairings will be at Brew at the Zoo.

Photo courtesy of Spanish Marie

Spanish Marie Craft Beer and PairingsSpanish Marie is unique in that the company brews its beers to pair with fine chocolates and desserts that the partners make themselves. For instance, their 3 'N Out APA is paired with a lemon curd cream, while a black IPA is best savored with a chocolate pot de creme with roasted malt topping; King Charles Passion Fruit Hefe goes well with tart and sweet passionfruit gummy candy; and coffee porter is paired with salted caramel. Try them all at Brew at the Zoo. Cofounder Alberto Cespedes says the team is looking into finalizing a location for their brewery and taproom, which will be a unique addition to Miami's beer scene.

General admission tickets to Brew at the Zoo cost $40 in advance and $50 at the gate; GA tickets include unlimited local and international beer samplings from 100-plus breweries, along with and homebrews and craft beers.

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Beer geeks will love the Brewmaster ticket option: $70 ($80 at the gate) gets you early entrance to the event at 7 p.m., along with a special commemorative pilsner glass and a bag available only to Brewmaster ticketholders. You'll also have access to exclusive beer tappings available to Brewmaster and VIP ticketholders.

Or go wild with VIP tickets: $80 ($90 at the gate) gets you early entry to Brew at the Zoo at 7 p.m., animal encounters, complimentary food, full-size beers, and special spirit samplings. Tickets can be purchased online at newtimesbrewatthezoo.com until May 9.

Laine Doss is the food and spirits editor for Miami New Times, has been featured on Cooking Channel's Eat Street and Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race. Doss won an Alternative Weekly award for her feature on what it's like to wait tables.